In the thirty-eighth year of Yongle under the Dayu dynasty, the emperor dies of illness, and Princess Yihe, the strongest contender for the throne, dies as well. Seven years later, Linlang, a maid who was sold into the Wen household, rises to become Madam Wen. While her husband, Wen Buhui, is away on a long journey, many dangers befall the pregnant Madam Wen. She is framed and taken to the Li residence in Yanjing, and the identity she has hidden for so long is exposed. Her peaceful life is gone for good. Before long, the husband who once promised her a lifetime together intends to take a concubine. As Linlang is overcome with grief, her baby is born prematurely, and a difficult labor leaves her unconscious for three months. And so begins a tale of the realm, conspiracies, and the love and hatred in one woman's life, starting in the prosperous city of Chuanzhou.
